


Amnesiac

by purplebass



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 06:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30118800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplebass/pseuds/purplebass
Summary: Two fics on herongraystairs: one is from the TID timeline, whereas the other from the TLH timeline. The fic is basically the same, save for the ending and a few differences here and there. I couldn't decide!
Relationships: Cordelia Carstairs/James Herondale, Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray, Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray/Will Herondale, Jesse Blackthorn/Lucie Herondale, Tessa Gray/Will Herondale
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. TLH Timeline

Tessa had been there when the mantid demon had pushed Will and he had fallen on the cobblestones. She had been busy herself fighting another one, and hadn’t noticed that her husband hadn’t gotten back on his feet until after she killed the creature. They had been ambushed during night patrol, after they had separated from Cecily and Gabriel, who were nowhere in sight. She had run to him, cradled his head in her hands, and had been gutted by the awareness that she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t draw any rune to heal him, because she wasn’t a shadowhunter. She could just call for help, and luckily for her, her brother and sister in law had caught up with them.

Cecily had drawn rune upon healing rune on her brother’s arm as they waited for Bridget to arrive with their carriage. Time seemed to stand still as Tessa caressed Will’s hair as they ran to the Institute. He still hadn’t regained consciousness, and she was worried.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Cecily had tried to comfort her with a smile. “It wouldn’t be the first time he falls on the ground and hits his head. Perhaps he’ll wake up even madder than he already is.”

Tessa had managed a smile. “Yes, you’re right,” she had agreed. But when they brought him up in the infirmary, Tessa couldn’t help but call for Jem. It always surprised Tessa how Jem could literally appear at the Institute’s doorstep as if he had been there all the time, as if he had never left. And to her and Will, he hadn’t.

 _Where is he?_ Jem wondered, but Tessa didn’t have the time to reply because he was already flying up the stairs, as if he sensed where his ex _parabatai_ was.

Tessa sworn that she heard him sigh, but she could never be sure. She witnessed as Jem, their Jem, checked on Will. _Don’t worry, he has a tough skin,_ Jem told her, his hand touched her arm to reassure her. _And a thick skull._

Tessa had managed a smile. She trusted Jem, and Will trusted him too. If he said that, he just meant that he was sure. “Thanks,” she replied. “Will you stay?”

Jem seemed to hesitate. _I should not, I cannot,_ he told her, and she swore she heard him sigh. _Just a few minutes, until he wakes up._

“He would want to see you,” Tessa said, just as she heard Will grumble from the bed and turned in alert. But he kept on sleeping.

In the meantime, James and Cordelia also got there.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Tessa told them. “Especially you, Cordelia,” she said gently, smiling at her daughter in law. “You should be resting. Are the kids with your mother?”

“Yes, they’ll be staying there tonight. We couldn’t have not come, after hearing what happened.”

 _Don’t you worry. He is not in a threatening condition, Cordelia._ Jem said. _And I agree that you should have rested. You are due in less than a month._

Cordelia blushed. “We are going to go back to Curzon Street once he wakes up.”

“Yes, we just wanted to check he’s alright. Shouldn’t he stop going on patrol? He is getting old,” James said, and his mother shrugged.

“Do not tell your father that,” Tessa warned, as Cordelia sat on a chair nearby.

A few minutes later, Lucie and Jesse appeared. They were wearing gear, because they had also been on night patrol. They seemed to be discussing something, but they stopped talking once they entered the infirmary.

“Is he okay, mam?” Lucie wondered with concern, grabbing Tessa’s hand for comfort.

“He’s just knocked out, dear,” Tessa replied. “Shouldn’t you be home?” she asked, smiling. She was happy that her two children had gotten married, but it was always nice to see them at the Institute. Not that they didn’t visit, but they also had their life now.

“We wanted to check on papa first,” Lucie answered. “We were on patrol, anyway.”

 _You shouldn’t have gone on patrol, in your condition,_ Jem told Lucie, and Jesse crossed his arms on his chest and nodded.

“Couldn’t agree more with your uncle,” Jesse said, and he exchanged a glance with his wife and sat down on one of the beds.

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Lucie?” James wondered, his arm on Cordelia’s shoulder.

“Yes,” she said. “And you will know in due time. But I would love for papa to be present too.”

They heard Will grunting. Tessa strolled to him, and grabbed his hand in hers, as her children and their significant others who were also sort of her kids, watched from their seats.

He was frowning, and gritting his teeth. Perhaps he was in pain, or having a nightmare, Tessa thought, but then he opened his blue eyes, which relieved her instantly. “Where am I?” he asked, gazing up at her and then at Jem.

They exchanged a glance. “You are at the Institute, Will. What do you remember?”

“The stench,” he wrinkled his nose. “Skull cracked open…” He wanted to sit up, but his head was probably throbbing. Tessa helped him, and then he glanced at Jem. “James, you’re here! This means I hit my head pretty hard on the pavement.”

 _You did_ , Jem said, his voice soundless and flat. _Do you remember it? Do you recognize us?_

Tessa wasn’t sure if he meant Jem or his own son.

“Of course, I recognize you,” Will answered excitedly, glancing at Jem. “But she,” he turned his head to Tessa, who stood expectantly still by the bed. “I see two Tessa’s.”

“It’s your daughter Lucie, Will,” Tessa said.

“Papa,” she said with a wistful tone, holding his stare. “Papa, it’s me. Lucie.”

Tessa turned to Jem, unable to hide her apprehension. _He may have temporary memory loss_ , he revealed. _It could disappear in a few hours, or longer_.

Tessa sighed, but didn’t let go of her husband’s hand. He was looking at her with the same loving eyes, radiating tranquility and happiness. Something didn’t sit right with her.

“What a pity that you don’t remember about me,” Lucie shrugged. “Your daughter who is very much pregnant right now!”

“What? With child?” Will sat up right, and hit the back of his head on the bedpost. “Ouch!”

“Careful!” Tessa admonished him, checking his head. “So, you were faking it, I see.”

“Lucie, is that for real?” Will asked, glancing at Lucie and then at Jesse, who was right behind her. “She really mentioned a child, didn’t she, Jem?”

 _I am afraid, I do not possess this information_ , Jem answered. He would have probably rolled his eyes if he could have. Because he did know the truth.

“You’re so cruel, the both of you,” Will protested, and touched the side of his head. “Especially you, Jem! Jesse! I know you know about this. Why are you withholding information from me?”

“No one is withholding information from you, papa,” Lucie protested, nearing the bed. “We were going to tell you tomorrow, at lunch. But then you got hurt tonight, so we thought we may tell you when you woke up.”

“Lucie is right,” Jesse said, putting a protective hand behind his wife’s back. The two looked at each other again, grinning.

“What amazing news,” he cried out. “Not only Cordelia and James are having their third child, you’re also having a child. I am the luckiest grandfather alive, and I haven’t turned fifty yet! I would have gladly hit my head several times, if it meant that I’d be learning this again and again for the first time.”

“Please no,” Tessa said, and everyone laughed with them.


	2. TID Timeline

Tessa had been there when the mantid demon had pushed Will and he had fallen on the cobblestones. She had been busy herself fighting another one, and hadn’t noticed that her husband hadn’t gotten back on his feet until after she killed the creature. They had been ambushed during night patrol, after they had separated from Cecily and Gabriel, who were nowhere in sight. She had run to him, cradled his head in her hands, and had been gutted by the awareness that she couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t draw any rune to heal him, because she wasn’t a shadowhunter. She could just call for help, and luckily for her, her brother and sister in law had caught up with them.

Cecily had drawn rune upon healing rune on her brother’s arm as they waited for Bridget to arrive with their carriage. Time seemed to stand still as Tessa caressed Will’s hair as they ran to the Institute. He still hadn’t regained consciousness, and she was worried.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” Cecily had tried to comfort her with a smile. “It wouldn’t be the first time he falls on the ground and hits his head. Perhaps he’ll wake up even madder than he already is.”

Tessa had managed a smile. “Yes, you’re right,” she had agreed. But when they brought him up in the infirmary, Tessa couldn’t help but call for Jem. It always surprised Tessa how Jem could literally appear at the Institute’s doorstep as if he had been there all the time, as if he had never left. And to her and Will, he hadn’t.

 _Where is he?_ Jem wondered, but Tessa didn’t have the time to reply because he was already flying up the stairs, as if he sensed where his ex _parabatai_ was.

Tessa sworn that she heard him sigh, but she could never be sure. She witnessed as Jem, their Jem, checked on Will. _Don’t worry, he has a tough skin,_ Jem told her, his hand touched her arm to reassure her. _And a thick skull._

Tessa had managed a smile. She trusted Jem, and Will trusted him too. If he said that, he just meant that he was sure. “Thanks,” she replied. “Will you stay?”

Jem seemed to hesitate. _I should not, I cannot,_ he told her, and she swore she heard him sigh. _Just a few minutes, until he wakes up._

“He would want to see you,” Tessa said, just as she heard Will grumble from the bed and turned in alert. She strolled to him, and grabbed his hand in hers.

He was frowning, and gritting his teeth. Perhaps he was in pain, or having a nightmare, Tessa thought, but then he opened his blue eyes, which relieved her instantly. “Where am I?” he asked, gazing up at her and then at Jem.

They exchanged a glance. “You are at the Institute, Will. What do you remember?”

“The stench,” he wrinkled his nose. “Skull cracked open…” He wanted to sit up, but his head was probably throbbing. Tessa helped him, and then he glanced at Jem. “James, you’re here! This means I hit my head pretty hard on the pavement.”

 _You did_ , Jem said, his voice soundless and flat. _Do you remember it? Do you recognize us?_

“Of course, I recognize you,” Will answered excitedly, glancing at Jem. “But her,” he turned his head to Tessa, who stood expectantly still by the bed. “Who is she? By the way, you’re beautiful.”

“Will,” she said with a wistful tone, holding his stare. “Will, it’s me. Tessa.”

“Oh, nice to meet you. Perhaps you’re single?”

Tessa turned to Jem, unable to hide her apprehension. _He may have temporary memory loss_ , he revealed. _It could disappear in a few hours, or longer_.

She sighed, but didn’t let go of her husband’s hand. He was looking at her with the same loving eyes, radiating tranquility and happiness. Something didn’t sit right with her.

“What a pity that you don’t remember about me,” she shrugged. “I wonder who will take responsibility for my child, then.”

“Child?” Will sat up right, and hit the back of his head on the bedpost. “Ouch!”

“Careful!” Tessa admonished him, checking his head. “So, you were faking it, I see.”

“You mentioned a child, Tess,” he said with excitement, taking her hands in his. “She really mentioned a child, didn’t she, Jem?”

 _I am afraid, I do not possess this information_ , Jem answered. He would have probably rolled his eyes if he could have. Because he did know the truth.

“You’re so cruel, the both of you,” Will protested, and touched the side of his head. “Especially you, Jem! I know you know about this. Why are you withholding information from me? I’m the father!”

“I thought you didn’t know me,” Tessa goaded, grinning. “I thought I would have to raise this child alone, with Jem’s help.”

“And I would have been eternally grateful to Jem,” Will glanced at his old _parabatai_ with affection. “How did you know I was faking it?”

“Because you winked at Jem, that’s why,” Tessa admitted.

“I thought you didn’t see me.”

“Oh, Will. You’re not very subtle.”

“Jem!”

 _You know that she is right,_ Jem agreed.

“Tessa!” Will exclaimed, then. “Are we really having a child?”

“I thought that was a given.”

He hugged her, trying not to move too much, because his back still hurt from the fall. He also grabbed one of Jem’s hands. “What amazing news,” he cried out. “I would have gladly hit my head several times, if it meant that I’d be learning this again and again for the first time.”

“Please no,” Tessa said, and both of them sworn they heard Jem laugh along with them.


End file.
